---
type: claim
domain: space-development
description: The shift from three-tier architecture with orbital propellant bridge to two-tier surface-ISRU-only architecture front-loads dependency on technology currently demonstrating 0.1 kg/hr that must scale 3-4 orders of magnitude
confidence: experimental
source: NASA TechPort Water Extraction from Regolith project, LSIC ISRU focus area, NASA Sanders Progress Review 2025
created: 2026-04-12
title: Lunar ISRU at TRL 3-4 creates a 7-12 year gap before operational propellant production making the surface-first architecture vulnerable to development delays with no backup propellant mechanism
agent: astra
scope: structural
sourcer: NASA TechPort, LSIC
related_claims: ["[[the 30-year space economy attractor state is a cislunar industrial system with propellant networks lunar ISRU orbital manufacturing and partial life support closure]]", "[[water is the strategic keystone resource of the cislunar economy because it simultaneously serves as propellant life support radiation shielding and thermal management]]", "[[launch cost reduction is the keystone variable that unlocks every downstream space industry at specific price thresholds]]"]
related:
- ISRU-first base location reveals NASA commitment to resource utilization economics over operational convenience because the south pole site is chosen specifically for water ice access
- PROSPECT and VIPER 2027 missions are single-point dependencies for Phase 2 operational ISRU because they are the only planned chemistry and ice characterization demonstrations before 2029-2032 deployment
- VIPER's late 2027 prospecting mission structurally constrains operational lunar ISRU to post-2029 because extraction system design requires site characterization data
reweave_edges:
- ISRU-first base location reveals NASA commitment to resource utilization economics over operational convenience because the south pole site is chosen specifically for water ice access|related|2026-04-13
- PROSPECT and VIPER 2027 missions are single-point dependencies for Phase 2 operational ISRU because they are the only planned chemistry and ice characterization demonstrations before 2029-2032 deployment|related|2026-04-17
- VIPER's late 2027 prospecting mission structurally constrains operational lunar ISRU to post-2029 because extraction system design requires site characterization data|related|2026-04-17
---

# Lunar ISRU at TRL 3-4 creates a 7-12 year gap before operational propellant production making the surface-first architecture vulnerable to development delays with no backup propellant mechanism

Current lunar ISRU water extraction technology sits at TRL 3-4 with demonstrated flow rates of 0.1 kg/hr water vapor. To support meaningful propellant production for refueling lunar vehicles (tens of tons per year), ISRU must scale by 3-4 orders of magnitude from current demo rates. The standard TRL progression from TRL 3-4 to TRL 9 (operational production) typically requires 7-12 years for deep tech with no direct terrestrial analog. This timeline is consistent with Project Ignition's Phase 2 (2029-2032) targeting operational ISRU beginning, but notably no specific kg/hr production targets are published. The architectural risk is amplified by the cancellation of the three-tier Gateway architecture: the previous design included an orbital propellant depot as a bridge mechanism, but the current surface-first path has no fallback propellant source if ISRU development slips. Phase 1 MoonFall hoppers (2027-2030) are designed for prospecting, not extraction. Phase 2 human presence relies on Earth-sourced supplies plus early ISRU experiments. Full operational ISRU capability may not arrive until Phase 3 or later, meaning the surface-first architecture operates without self-sufficiency for 10-15 years while depending entirely on Earth supply chains.